  Action/Adventure
This week: Edited by: Puditat  
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Life without action is static, and by necessity, it would therefore be dead. Action writing takes the normal and shares it for all to live vicriously.
Adventure is the spice: the exciting, adrenalin-pumping, thrill that makes one feel so alive. Everyone has an adventuresome spirit. Maybe dreams of excavating some long-lost treasure, visiting a new country, or trying a new flavour of potato chip.  Some of us prefer our adventures to come between the pages of a book, and many of us like to write that adventure.
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** Image ID #1220211 Unavailable **
Quantity and Quality of Action Scenes
I write this after a night which has seen rather too much mental action, and woefully little inaction. However, after only around two hours of sleep I find myself strangely inspired by the night's frustrations of playing tag with the sandman.
I will once again discuss action, but this time, how it is placed within a story. Here are just a few things to consider to check whether your story flows as well as it could.
1. Is there enough action?
- are there large parts of text that do not sufficiently advance the story?
- does the pace of the story vary? Find a story's natural rhythm from action scene to calm narrative and back into action.
- is the story unnecessarily bogged with description in any one point, or perhaps throughout?
Drip feed required description for easy assimilation by the reader.
- does the scene go on too long or not long enough?
2. How is the quality of the action sequence?
- is it necessary and appropriate? Action for action's sake may be as bad as not having any.
- is it too predictable or so unexpected that it jars?
- is the end of the action scene believable?
- if the scene is left mid-action, is it explainable?
Will it satisfy the reader enough, but keep them reading to find out what happens next?
- have you avoided the pitfall of cliff-hangers?
- does the scene utilise sentence length and structure to support the pace and excitement?
- is the scene cliche-free? (eg. nerves of steel)
- does the action stay true to the characters and support their development?
3. Are action sequences followed by anti-climaxes?
- does the narrative after an action scene advance the story or 'wallow'?
- does it provide a sense of building to the next event?
I think that makes sense, but then again my sleep-deprived brain might be playing tricks on me. I hope that it is informative, or at least, a diversion for your day.
Happy writing,
Puditat
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"Her face was beautiful, smooth and unmarked of age beneath a wisp of brown hair. “Having trouble with your homework?“ she asked."
"“We be doomed.” Smithy murmured.
“Stand ready, lads!” Captain Clifford cried. “We'll not go down without a fight!”
The ship of the line opened fire."
"The clouds began to bubble and fold upon themselves in a sickly attempt to retreat from the fire arching across the heavens."
"Against the broad window stood Eric Crittenden, staring out at the starfield, his arms crossed over his chest. He turned his head, and saw Janeway’s reflection in the glass."
"A deadly ripple shivers his spine as I watch."
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 I read in a book that an author actually went out and tried to start a fire with a flint rock and a steel hatchet. (the character in the book had to do the same thing) He then went and showed his wife. I think she laughed...
andromeda
 How cute! Thanks for sharing and providing me with a laugh too.
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Action/Adventure: September 19, 2007 Issue [#1953]
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